AI Interview Technology Transforms UK Recruitment Amid Rising Application Pressure
UK job vacancies have declined by about 12% year-on-year, while applications per role have surged roughly 65%, heightening pressure on HR teams, according to data from the ONS and Tribepad.
In response, recruiters are increasingly adopting AI video interview technologies, such as Test Gorilla's platform used by firms like Talent Solutions Group. This technology generates a candidate score to help hiring managers prioritize roughly the top 10% of applicants for further consideration. However, some technical issues have occurred, including a rare instance of a demo interview crashing, which can be resolved via an on-screen help widget.
Similarly, Cera utilizes an AI-based recruitment tool named Ami to conduct phone interviews. This system reportedly saves recruiters about two days per week, processes around 500,000 applications annually, has helped recruit over 1,000 people, and reduced screening costs by approximately two-thirds for a workforce of 10,000.
Despite these efficiencies, there are concerns from jobseekers that AI screening may overly rely on keywords, potentially overlooking broader candidate fit. Candidates worry about negative impacts on company reputation when they do not receive personal interactions. Experts warn that AI filtering risks a "race to the bottom," causing automatic rejections or ghosting and encouraging applicants to stuff keywords or game the AI to progress.
Additional issues include biases in AI screening outcomes due to the training data and programming, highlighting the need for thorough checks and caution against over-reliance on AI alone.
Furthermore, the rise of AI interviews has led to scam concerns, with instances of fraudulent entities using AI to conduct fake interviews and solicit money for training or equipment, and candidates encountering robotic voices during these deceptive processes.
